Fear Allaah [The Roads]

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: The Prophet said, ‘Beware! Avoid sitting on the roads.’

They (the people) said, ”O Messenger of Allaah! We can’t help sitting (on the roads) as these are (our places) where we have talks. The Messenger of Allaah (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: ”If you refuse but to sit, then pay the road its right’ They said, ‘What is the right of the road, O Messenger of Allaah? He said, ”Lowering your gaze, refraining from harming others, returning greeting, and enjoining good and forbidding evil.’ [Reported by Imaam Bukhaari ( No: 5832)] [End of quote]

Is enjoining Ma’ruf and forbidding Munkar, namely correcting the wrong by the hand, a right for all Muslims or is it just confined to those in authority and their deputies?

A: Correcting the wrong is a right for all Muslims according to their ability, because the Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Anyone of you who sees Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved of by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect), let them change it with their hand (by taking action); if they cannot, then with their tongue (by speaking out); and if they cannot, then with their heart (by hating it and feeling that it is wrong); and that is the weakest of Iman (faith).”(Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi & others)

However, changing by the hand must be based on ability that will not result in greater corruption or evil. Man has the right to rectify matters with his hand (by taking action) in his home, with his children, wife, and servants; and a manager has the authority to make changes with the hand within the organization they are responsible for, in accordance with the instructions that were given to them. Otherwise, people should not change with their hand anything they are not authorized to change. If they do make changes in matters that they have no authority over, this will result in more evil and great corruption between them and the people and between the people and the state.

In this case they should make the change with their tongue (by speaking out). They may say: “O so-and-so! Fear Allah! That is not permissible,” “This is Haram (prohibited),” or: “That is Wajib (obligatory) on you,” and clarify it with Shar’iy (Islamic legal) evidence. This is what can be done by the tongue. As for changing matters with the hand, this should be done where one has authority, such as one’s home, with those under one’s responsibility, or those authorized by the ruler, such as organizations given permission and authority to enjoin Ma’ruf (that which is judged as good, beneficial, or fitting by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect). They should make changes in accordance to the degree of authority that has been given to them, in the way prescribed by the Shari’ah (Islamic law), without exceeding their jurisdiction. The same applies to the governor of a city; he should make changes with his hand, in accordance with the instructions he has.

It is obligated on the one who enjoins good and forbids evil that enjoining good and forbidding evil is (carried out) for the sake of Allaah, and that his intention is to rectify the affairs of the one he commands towards good and forbids from evil and to establish the proofs. His intention should not be for seeking leadership for himself, or for his group or to diminish the worth of others.” [Quoted in ‘Kun Salafiyyan Alal Jaad-dati page: 62-63]